Baroness Amos: The International Crisis Group report includes recommendations on:
	Ensuring Free and Fair Elections
	The international community, including the UK, is fully focused on ensuring successful elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as a vital first step towards a sustainable peace, effective and accountable government and long-term poverty reduction in the DRC. The UK is the largest bilateral donor to the electoral process, providing £22.2 million over 18 months. We have made clear to all parties in government the critical importance of keeping to the electoral timetable and ensuring that free and fair elections take place.
	Good Governance and Justice
	The International Committee Accompanying the Transition (CIAT—which includes a number of ambassadors, including from the UK, and the UN) has been putting increasing pressure on the Government of the DRC to tackle corruption. CIAT issued its most strongly worded communiqué yet to the DRC Government on this issue this week, and the Secretary of State for International Development has made an offer of further UK support to the army integration conditional upon tackling corruption in the army pay system. DfID supported an audit of the justice sector in the DRC last year, and will be supporting the implementation of the resulting action plan for long-term reform. We also plan to support a programme to rehabilitate the justice system in the east of the DRC, where some of the worst human rights abuses have been committed.
	An Integrated National Army and Police Force to Establish Security
	Integration of the army is essential for providing security to the people of the DRC and the region as a whole. The UK is funding two members of the EU Security Sector Reform Mission to the DRC (EUSEC), which is providing advice to the Congolese Government on army integration in the run-up to elections.
	In his recent visit to the DRC, the Secretary of State for International Development offered UK help to provide water, shelter and human rights training to the newly integrated brigades, but only on condition that the Government of the DRC feed their troops properly and accept and implement the recommendations of the EUSEC report on reforming the army pay system to help stamp out corruption.
	Disarmament, Demobilisation and Repatriation of the Forces Democratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR)
	The Congolese army, in conjunction with MONUC (the UN mission to DRC), is exerting military pressure on the FDLR to disrupt its operations in the Kivu provinces. We have encouraged MONUC to support the Congolese army in taking a robust stance against the FDLR but are clear that the solution to the problem requires political as well as military pressure.
	Fulfilment of MONUC's Mandate to Protect Civilians
	The protection of civilians is an integral part of MONUC's mandate. We would consider strengthening MONUC based on a revised concept of operations from the department of peacekeeping operations. We are aware that regional leaders are, like the International Crisis Group, recommending to the Security Council that MONUC be strengthened. The Security Council is considering this.

Baroness Amos: Recent estimates made by the non-governmental organisation IRC (International Rescue Committee) suggest that the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has caused around 4 million extra deaths since it began in 1998. The Internationally Displaced Persons Unit in the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that of the 2.3 million people left displaced at the end of the major conflict in 2003, 1.68 million have been able to return, leaving 1.67 million still displaced.
	However, these numbers reflect overall trends and do not illustrate the increasing short-term displacement observed over the past two years. Save the Children has estimated that there remain tens of thousands of children under arms in the DRC. Fewer that 8,000 have demobilised since the end of the war under the various disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes in operation.

Lord Warner: The Food Standards Agency were notified by the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland (DARD) of suspected illicit activity relating to repackaging and re-labelling at a cold store in Northern Ireland operated by Eurofreeze (Ireland) Ltd following DARD's visit to the cold store on 9 November.
	This led to the FSA launching an investigation on 11 November, which included examination of records from the company to attempt to trace product supplied by Eurofreeze (Ireland) Ltd. to other companies.

Lord Warner: The Food Standards Agency is leading an investigation into suspected illicit activity relating to repackaging and re-labelling including the application of illicit health marks, at a cold store in Northern Ireland operated by Eurofreeze (Ireland) Ltd. Records from the company have been examined back to October 2004 and product supplied by Eurofreeze (Ireland) Ltd has been traced down the supply chain. Whilst the investigation is still continuing, to date none of the traced product has been found to contain genuine health marks.

Lord Warner: The Food Standards Agency has examined the health marks and accompanying documentation relating to product found at the Eurofreeze cold store, following a visit of the premises on 9 November. A significant proportion of the product has proven to be satisfactory; the remainder has been seized and will be subjected to more detailed examination and assessment.

Lord Strathclyde: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many Ministerial meetings there have been since Hurricane Stan with representatives of (a) El Salvador; and (b) Guatemala to discuss assistance with reconstruction and recovery in those countries.

Baroness Amos: DfID provided a total of £253,000 of emergency relief to Guatemala and El Salvador after Hurricane Stan. This support was provided through Plan International UK, £103,000 (70 per cent for Guatemala and 30 per cent for El Salvador) and through Care International UK (£100,000 for Guatemala, and £50,000 for El Salvador).
	DfID also supports relief and reconstruction through its contributions to multilateral agencies. The European Commission Humanitarian Department (ECHO) provided 5.7 million euros (including 18 per cent. DfID contributions) to support those affected by flooding and mudslides in Guatemala and El Salvador.
	The Government of Guatemala have requested that the World Bank focus part of its loan to the Ministry of Health to help rebuild seven local hospitals and clinics in the affected areas. Other multilateral agencies are considering how their programmes in Guatemala and El Salvador might support reconstruction efforts.

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make representations to the Government of Israel concerning access by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Palestinians held in custody in Israel and the West Bank.

Lord Triesman: The agreement reached at 24 November Agriculture Council to reform the EU sugar regime will bring it into line with other already reformed CAP sectors and will benefit many developing countries. But we recognise the negative impacts that the EU reforms will have on some African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) sugar producers, including Jamaica, with preferential access to the EU market.
	As my right honourable friend the Prime Minister said in his speech at Guildhall on 14 November (www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page8524.asp), we recognise the problem of preference erosion. This does not argue for maintaining the current system, but it does argue for helping the countries affected through the transition. The EU will provide transitional assistance to help ACP producers improve their efficiency in the sugar sector where feasible or diversify into more profitable sectors. Ensuring that credible and timely transitional assistance is in place remains a priority for the UK.
	We have supported the Commission's proposal of €40 million in transitional assistance for ACP producers in the first year (2006). We have worked hard to secure this amount in the negotiations on the 2006 EU budget, which we hope will formally be agreed by the European Parliament when it meets in a plenary session in mid-December. Further funding will be available over the following seven years, and the UK will fight to ensure it is adequate and timely.
	The Department for International Development (DfID) is collaborating with the World Bank to assess the implications of the EU reforms for the rural economy as a whole. DfID is also supporting the Planning Institute of Jamaica to carry out a study on the social impact of the erosion of sugar preferences and how best to help those adversely affected by the changes.

Lord Triesman: We recognise the negative impacts that the reforms to the EU sugar regime agreed at the 24 November Agriculture Council will have on some African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) sugar producers—including Jamaica—with preferential access to the EU market. However, we welcome the overall reforms, particularly the benefits they will bring to many developing countries. Furthermore, the reforms will see a smaller price cut and a longer adjustment period than originally proposed. This will give the ACP a better opportunity to adapt to the reforms.
	The EU will provide transitional assistance to help ACP producers improve their efficiency in the sugar sector where feasible or diversify into more profitable sectors. Ensuring that credible and timely transitional assistance is in place remains a priority for the UK.
	In September 2003, the Department for International Development (DfID) commissioned consultants LMC International Ltd (LMC) to produce an independent report on the impact that EU sugar reform would have by 2015 on the ACP countries that are party to the sugar protocol. This work was updated in June 2005, after the Commission put forward its proposals but before agreement was reached on the shape of the reforms. It therefore assumes a 39 per cent price cut rather than the actual 36 per cent.
	The sugar industry in Jamaica currently contributes about 1 per cent to GDP (mainly through exports to the EU) and it employs around 30,000 workers (2.5 per cent of the workforce). On the basis of the limited information available to it, the LMC study forecasts that the sugar industry in Jamaica was likely to be unsustainable after the EU reforms. This conclusion was contested by the Government of Jamaica, who have since clearly stated that there will be a viable sugar industry after transition.
	A more recent assessment by European Commission funded consultants (who again assumed a 39 per cent price cut) concluded that this would reduce the value of sugar export revenues from 6.9 per cent of total exports to 4.9 per cent and a reduction of 0.8 per cent of GDP over four years. The consultants estimate redundancy costs of €10.5 million, assuming that the government decide to close two of the state-owned mills.
	A recent International Monetary Fund working paper estimated that a similar reduction in preferences would result in the loss of 1.4 per cent. of exports and a 0.6 per cent reduction in GDP for Jamaica. But these estimates should be viewed with caution, as they are based on a number of strong assumptions.
	Currently, DfID is collaborating with the World Bank to assess the implications of the EU reforms for the rural economy as a whole. We are also supporting the Planning Institute of Jamaica to carry out a study on the social impact of the erosion of sugar preferences and how best to help those affected adversely by the changes.

Lord Bach: Regional development agencies in England are tasked to address the priorities identified in the regional economic strategies for their regions and to contribute to the delivery of the Government's PSA targets on regional economic performance, sustainable development and productivity/rural productivity, and through these to the delivery of a range of other PSA targets.
	The RDAs' role in contributing to delivery of these PSA targets and regional priorities will vary, reflecting the diversity of the regions. For this reason, the priority attached to particular sectors, such, as food and drink, will also differ, and there are therefore no national targets for specific sectors.
	Guidance is provided to RDAs on the framework within which they are expected to operate; for example, to ensure the consultation and participation of regional and local stakeholders. However, the Government recognise that no two regions are the same and have therefore not prescribed one model for delivery.
	The Government have developed new performance monitoring and reporting arrangements to reflect this new method of tasking the RDAs. This is designed to establish progress against both outputs and RDA strategic added value activities, agreed with government through individual corporate plans. Progress will be reported on a six-monthly basis and reports made public through each RDA website. In addition a second strand of the performance monitoring and reporting arrangements will be a biennial independent performance assessment of each RDA, carried out by the. National Audit Office.
	RDAs contribute to delivery of Defra's quality regional food strategy through their regional programmes of support for the quality regional food sector. This is managed through the department's Cross-Cutting Group on quality regional food, made up of representatives from Defra, the RDAs, Food from Britain, the Countryside Agency and the Food Standards Agency. The purpose of the Cross-Cutting Group is to agree Defra's national programme and the RDA's regional programmes of support for the quality regional food sector and to monitor and co-ordinate delivery of those programmes to ensure that there is no overlap or double-funding of activities and to share best practice. Targets are based on the nature of the activity; for some it relates to the numbers of producers taking part in an activity and for others it relates to the amount of additional income generated from participation in a particular activity. An independent economic review of the our quality regional food strategy, carried out by ADAS earlier this year, showed that government support for the sector has been effective and that those firms that have benefited from the strategy have performed better than non-beneficiaries. A copy of the evaluation is at www.statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/evaluation/env.asp.
	Further detailed information on the RDAs' current and future delivery in the food and drink sector will be made available in the House Llibrary.

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